


A Different Kind of Demon

by sassenach_on_the_rocks51



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 18:03:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15442764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassenach_on_the_rocks51/pseuds/sassenach_on_the_rocks51
Summary: A demon has taken over you. So Thor goes to the one person he hopes can help: Doctor Stephen Strange.





	A Different Kind of Demon

He had better damned well be there.

Running through the streets of New York at top speed clad in his Asgardian armor, Thor could barely keep his thoughts straight. Doing his best to move quickly while holding you tightly to his chest, still wrapped in a blanket, Thor kept his eye out for a place he had only been to once before and only vaguely remembered how to get to.

Most in New York wouldn’t have thought much of a man running through the streets carrying someone, they had seen far stranger sights. But many had never seen a man known to be part of the Avengers running through the streets carrying someone. More than a few stepped out of the way and just as many stopped, pulled their cameras out and got whatever footage they could of the famous God of Thunder. Who he could be carrying, they had no idea, but it obviously had to be someone important, what with how close he was holding them.

As he neared Greenwich Village, Thor noted that his surroundings began to look more and more familiar. Looking to the tops of the buildings, he kept his eyes out for a large white building with a strange window at the top. As he turned onto Bleecker Street, he caught sight of it, the Sanctum Sanctorum and dashed over and up the steps.

Stay with me love. Almost there.

“Wizard!” Thor bellowed as he went to knock on the door. Adjusting so he could hold you with one arm, no sooner had his fist touched the door, then he quickly found himself inside the foyer of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Thor looked around for the man he needed but didn’t see him anywhere.”

“Wizard, I need your…” Thor began to yell.

“I heard you the first time.” Came a deep echoing voice.

Thor looked behind him to see the man he needed coming down the stairs. Clad in his normal blue robes with black belts and boots, the man in question, Doctor Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts looked first at Thor with an exasperated expression, as if Thor had personally come by to ruin his mood.

It wasn’t until Strange looked at saw what was in Thor’s arms did he realize that Thor had a good reason to be there. In Thor’s arms looked to be a young woman wrapped in a dark blue blanket. A woman who appeared to be shaking.

Rushing over to Strange, Thor pleaded desperately “Wizard, I need your help. A demon has a hold of her. The likes of which I’ve not seen.”

“Follow me.” Strange said, quickly leading the two of you upstairs. Thor followed Strange over to an area lined with bookshelves. Some contained books, some held jars and other materials. In the middle of it stood a large table laden with items. With a wave of his hand, Strange cleared the table.

“Set her down.”  
Laying you down gently, still wrapped in the blanket, you rolled over onto your side, rocking back and forth. Thor stood close to the table and took your hand in his.

“It’s okay love. The wizard is going to help you.” Thor spoke gently stroking your face, hoping that your heard him.

Strange quickly set to work examining you. With a few hand gestures, he conjured up a sigil and began running it over you, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

“How long has she been like this?” Strange inquired as he continued examining you.

“I don’t know. I just found her like this in her room. She was on the floor huddled, shaking and shivering. I tried talking to her, but she wouldn’t answer. She just kept shaking and staring, as if she didn’t see me.” Thor said panicking, the fear in his heart growing as he recalled finding you.

“No trace of any unusual energy.” Strange said in a clinical voice as he made the sigils disappear. Taking a hold of your wrist and feeling for your pulse, it only took a few seconds for Strange to notice that your pulse was racing.

Conjuring a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope out of thin air, Strange put the stethoscope on, put the cuff on your arm and squeezing the bulb, began watching the gauge on the cuff. It didn’t take long for Strange to see that something wasn’t right.

“Blood Pressure is through the roof.” Strange noted as he took the cuff off and set it to the side. Feeling your forehead and checking your glands, he noted there was no sign of a fever.

Noting that you were still rocking yourself back and forth, your lips moving silently, Strange looked at Thor asked, “What was she doing in her room?”

Unsure of why that mattered, Thor said “I think she was watching something on that giant picture thing.”

“You mean the television?” Strange asked, eye quirked.

“Yeah that. “

“What was on it? Do you remember?” Strange inquired.

“I didn’t really notice. Just that it was on.” Thor replied, still unsure why Strange was asking. “Now that I think of it, it was rather loud. What does this have to do with the demon? Did it come from there?”

Taking note of all your symptoms, plus the fact he could find no trace of any energy from outside Earth and no traces of any energy from any other dimensions, the only logical conclusion in Strange’s mind was that this was not caused by any “demon”. At least not a demon that Thor would be familiar with.

Strange had a theory. One that would be easy to test but one that he knew, that if he was correct, could risk making your symptoms worse. But if he was to give you any treatment, he needed to know exactly was dealing with.

Stretching an arm out towards one of the bookcases, Strange flicked his wrist, causing all the books to come crashing down from the shelf. No sooner had the first few books hit the floor with a bang did he hear you scream. Looking towards you, he saw that you had gone further into the fetal position, shaking even more. Thor reached over and as gently as he could, pulled you into his arms, stroking your hair and whispering to you gently.

Seeing you react that way filled Thor’s heart with a kind of fear he had never known before. He always prided himself on knowing what to do. On how to fight back against anything that came his way. But this “enemy” was the worst he could imagine. Whatever this demon was, it had great power over you and knowing that he couldn’t even see this demon that was harming you worried him even more.

How do I fight something I can’t see?

Thor couldn’t see what was wrong, but Strange could. As Thor stood at the table holding you and trying to talk to you in hopes of reaching you, Strange walked over to his collection of herbs and quickly grabbed several. Remembering a few lessons not only from Medical School, but also the archives of Kamar-Taj, wordless he quickly mixed up a few herbs and some other ingredients into a bowl, creating a purple mixture.

Looking over at you, Strange saw that you were still shaking, still moving your mouth silently, and considered his options. This wasn’t a mixture that could be injected intravenously, it had to be swallowed. There was only one thing for it.

Strange quickly conjured up a plastic syringe and some other items. Taking the needle and the bowl, he walked back over to the table. Setting the items down, Strange took the syringe and filled it full of the strange looking liquid

Thor asked anxiously looking at the syringe “Will that vanquish this demon?”

“Hold her as still as you can.” Strange ordered. 

Thor nodded and held you down tightly, hoping that it wasn’t too tight. If it was, you gave him no indication.

Strange brought over the syringe and waited patiently for his chance. Once he saw it, he slipped the syringe inside your mouth and quickly injected the purple mixture. Once he had injected it, he brought up his hands to your chin and forehead and tilted your head back, hoping that would send enough of the mixture down your throat to be effective.

Within moments, you slowly stopped shaking. As the mixture took hold, Thor could feel you relaxing all over, and soon enough, he saw your eyes close.

“What did you do?” Thor asked nervously.

“I just gave her sedative. She’ll be out for a while.” Strange said, keeping an eye on you. “If I mixed it right. Let’s get her off the table.”

Grabbing both you and the blanket, Thor followed Strange to another part of the Sanctum, one reserved for guests. Spotting a chaise lounge, Thor laid you down gently, put a pillow under your head and covered you with the blanket more.

Once he was certain you would be comfortable, Thor stood back up and looked at Strange. “Is the demon gone?” He asked.

“I would say its asleep for now. Not gone.’” Strange replied, crossing his arms.

“What do you mean its not gone?” Thor asked incredulously. “How is it still there?”

Fixing Thor with a look, Strange said. “Because this ‘demon’ isn’t a demon in the traditional sense. It is not a spiritual creature; therefore, it can’t be treated by spiritual means.”

“So, what is it?’ Thor asked.

Gesturing for Thor to follow him away from you to the window by the staircase so as not to disturb you, Strange continued in a low voice “What you just saw was what we refer to on Midgard as an anxiety attack.”

“Anxiety attack?” Thor asked. “What is that?”

“Put simply, it’s what happens when someone becomes anxious at a level that is overwhelming for them.” Strange explained.

“So, what causes it?” Thor inquired, eager to know.

“It varies from person to person. For some, it can be caused by a trigger such as a stressful situation. For some it can come out of nowhere. Some show many signs, some show few.” Strange explained.

“How long has she had it?”

“No telling. Some develop it as adults, some deal with it as kids. Most who have it have dealt with it all their lives. And I can imagine she has too.” Strange replied.

“Okay so how do we get rid of it?” Thor wondered.

“That’s the thing. You can’t. With the proper medicine, it can be managed. But it can take time to find the right medicine. And sometimes medicine alone isn’t enough. It depends on the patient.” Strange said, looking back at you.

“Okay so where do we find this medicine?” Thor asked, eager to start looking for it so that you might get better quicker.

“Medicine is a bit different on Midgard. The medicine she needs must be prescribed by a doctor.” Strange said

“You’re a Doctor, why can’t you give it to her?” Thor wondered.

“Because I am, or was a neurosurgeon, not a psychiatrist. I can’t just give something random to her.” Strange replied simply, hoping he was getting through to Thor. “She must see someone who specializes in this. They can suggest a medicine or therapy that might help her and go from there.”

All of this was a lot to take in for Thor. For a man so used to taking down entities that most couldn’t imagine, not being able to take this on himself didn’t sit well with him. He had never been the type to sit back and do nothing if something could be done.

Sighing deeply and still feeling helpless, Thor asked “So what can I do?”

“For now? Take her home, put her to bed and keep a close watch on her. There is no telling where she will be mentally when she wakes. Keep everything as calm and as peaceful as you can as well.” Strange advised.

Walking back over to you, Thor gently picked you up. Still sound asleep, Thor held you close to his chest while Strange conjured up a portal back to Stark Tower. Just as Thor went to carry you through, Strange said “Thor?”

Turning back to Strange, Thor said nothing as he waited.

“You really want to help her?” He asked. Thor nodded.

“Be there for her as much as you can. She’s going to need it.” Strange said. With that, Thor nodded and carried you through the portal. Arriving back at the other side, Thor wordlessly carried you back to your room.

Once inside, he laid you gently on the bed. Noting the television was still on, he managed to find the remote and shut it off. Setting the remote aside, Thor climbed onto the bed with you and pulled you into his arms, the only thing he could think to do at a time like this.

Recalling what Strange had told him, it bothered him to know that you had been suffering from this for so long. It bothered him even more to know there was little he himself could do, that he couldn’t fight and vanquish this for you, so that you might be free of it once and for all.

As you rested in his arms, Thor resolved to do what he could to help, even if he didn’t quite understand how it all worked. He couldn’t fight it for you, but he could make sure that you wouldn’t fight alone anymore.

There was some comfort in that.


End file.
